Farewell, Cak Nur
It always seems that those we need most depart at a time when they are most sought after.
To say that we will miss Cak Nur -- as Nurcholish Madjid is affectionately known -- is an understatement. He was a voice of reason; a beacon of rationality and humanity for a nation trying to find itself.
His death on Monday afternoon signals the passing of another prominent Indonesian. Hopefully, it is not a harbinger to an end of wisdom in the nation's efforts to create a pluralist and humane society.
Cak Nur was cut from the same cloth as the wisest predecessors who molded an idealistic vision of Indonesia. He studied Agus Salim and conversed with the likes of Mohammad Roem and Natsir on the construction of the Indonesian state.
And like these men of stern religious temperament, he came to a bold conclusion: that religious values should absolutely constitute the foundations of a strong nation-state, but thus in no way obliged the establishment of an Islamic state.
Hence his famous dictum "Islam Yes! Islamic State No!"
From these precepts he became an advocate of the simplest tenet of Islam: Respect for humankind, irrespective of one's religion, creed or economic standing.
An idea that was as simple as it was elusive to the most pious Islamic conservatives.
His thoughts were not the engineered for any ideological agenda or political objective. It came about as a process of introspection. A need within himself to discover the path of righteousness.
That self often reflected the soul of many millions of Indonesians.
Cak Nur was not the greatest of inspirators. He was not the most eloquent of speakers. Nor was he the most influential of thinkers.
His manner was too poised, and speech too subdued to fire men's imagination. What he appealed to was their moral senses. Even with his soft voice, his messages has resonances that appealed to all people of reason.
The consistency and utter neglect of personal glory he showed throughout his life reinforced his arguments.
Some may criticize Cak Nur for preaching from the parapet without actually taking practical political stances. Some have also lamented his willingness to consult with Soeharto in the last days of his presidency.
Nevertheless this just reaffirms Cak Nur's mind-set of peace and compassion.
He taught us that to be a good Muslim was simply to be a good and kind human being; simple as that.
Now that he is gone, the nation will have to look into its own collective heart to resolve the ideological contradictions that it faces.
There can never be another Cak Nur, but there are already like-minded people who preach the same kind of wisdom as he did. This, perhaps, was Cak Nur's greatest contribution: guiding a new generation of Islamic thinkers towards the ways of tolerance and mutual respect.
When the nation pays its last respects to the man today, the greatest homage they can give is to ensure that the spirit of Cak Nur's teachings, garnered from the ideas of his predecessors, can be faithfully adhered to by the peoples of Indonesia.
Farewell, Cak. May you rest in peace, and may God bless this nation that you have left behind.